Oberammergau and a four country cruise: To Budapest
The Danube
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VIP on selected river cruises
Discover the delights of the Danube and see the Passion Play at Oberammergau
Every ten years, the small village of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps stages what is regarded as the most important passion play in the world. The next performance will take place in 2022, when an estimated audience of some 500,000 people will watch one of the 102 performances taking place in the village. After flying to Munich, you’ll transfer to Oberammergau and take your seat at the passion play for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can then look forward to a seven-night river cruise aboard Spirit of the Danube taking you through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.
The play was first performed in 1634 after plague struck the inhabitants of Oberammergau the year before. The villagers vowed that if God would spare them, they would perform a Passion Play every 10 years. Miraculously, there were no further plague victims and the play has been performed every ten years thereafter in fulfilment of the promise (with just a couple of uncontrollable exceptions). Enacting the ‘…suffering, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ’ and starting with Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem, this extraordinary event involves nearly half of Oberammergau’s inhabitants, all of whom (excluding children) will have been residents for at least 20 years and who will take roles ranging from actors and singers, to stage design, props and chorus. In anticipation of the play, Oberammergau men taking part will start to grow their hair and beards from Ash Wednesday of the previous year, following the village “Beard and Hair Edict”, with rehearsals commencing later in the year. From the play’s origins to its outstanding ‘tableaux’, performances and the spectacle of up to 1500 actors on stage, the Oberammergau Passion Play offers a unique experience – the perfect concluding highlight to a memorable holiday.
Including...
VIP door-to-door travel service from anywhere on the UK mainland
7 nights Full Board aboard the ship, 2 nights Half Board in a hotel
24 meals: 9 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 9 dinners
Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner on board the ship
Saga Team
Plus, all this...
- Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
- All gratuities on board
- Return flights and transfers
- Expert Host in Oberammergau
- Official Passion Play Programme
Included excursions
- Attend the Oberammergau Passion Play
- Entrance to the Oberammergau Museum
- Tour of Budapest OR Culinary walking tour of Budapest
- Sightseeing tour of Vienna OR Culinary walking tour of Vienna
- Durnstein city walk
Interactive maps and audio headsets for independent exploration
View Full Itinerary
Day 1 UK-Munich-Oberammergau

Fly to Munich and travel by coach to Oberammergau.
Check into your hotel where you will stay for the next two nights, situated a short drive from the village. Enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening.
Day 2 Oberammergau

Enjoy the morning at leisure to explore prior to taking your seats in readiness for the start of the Passion Play at 2.30pm.
The play begins with the customary prologue and chorus, followed by two tableaux of Adam and Eve, and a representation of the original vow made in 1633. The play then follows the life of Jesus from his entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey, to the Resurrection.
There will be a three-hour interval between 5pm and 8pm when dinner will be served, before the performance recommences, finishing at approximately 10.30pm, when you’ll return to your hotel.
Day 3 Oberammergau-Regensburg

Check out of your hotel and transfer to the port in Regensburg where you will embark your ship this afternoon.
Enjoy dinner on board this evening as you remain moored here overnight.
Day 4 Regensburg 🎧

The city of Regensburg has been described as a ‘medieval miracle’ and its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stroll through the narrow lanes, explore the architecture and buildings which range from Roman to Romanesque and Gothic, pause in its attractive squares and see St Peter’s Cathedral, dating from the 12th century onwards. With so much to see you may prefer to join an optional city walk in the morning.
This afternoon another optional excursion offers the chance to visit Weltenburg Abbey, a fine example of German baroque architecture overlooking the Danube Gorge, together with a 30-minute boat ride through the gorge. Enjoy dinner on board as your cruise begins this evening, sailing overnight to Passau.
Day 5 Passau 🎧

Also known as the 'Venice of Bavaria', Passau has a beautiful location at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Ilz and Inn, the surrounding hills creating a picture-postcard backdrop to the city's towers, spires and red-roofed houses. It’s also the most easterly city in Bavaria, and its impressive baroque cathedral contains the largest church organ in the world.
Perhaps explore this fascinating town on an optional walking tour of the highlights this afternoon, most of which are close to the Danube.
Set sail early evening and cruise overnight to Melk.
Day 6 Melk-Dürnstein 🎧

Melk is best known for its great baroque abbey, which has a magnificent church and famous library with over 70,000 books. An optional walking tour incorporates a visit to the abbey.
After lunch sail on and this afternoon you can enjoy some free time to explore Dürnstein, one of the most picturesque towns on the Danube River and where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned during the late 12th century in the now ruined Kuenringer Castle.
Day 7 Dürnstein-Vienna 🎧

Sail across the border into Austria and moor before breakfast.
Vienna is the artistic capital of Austria and home to the waltz, coffee houses, the Prater and one of the world's finest opera houses. It's the city where Marie-Antoinette grew up and where Mozart died, and for 600 hundred years was the centre of the Hapsburg Empire. This morning an included half-day tour with a local guide will reveal the highlights of this stunning city, taking in the Ringstrasse, a wide avenue encircling the old city, passing famous sights such as the Imperial Hofburg complex built by Emperor Franz Josef and the magnificent State Opera House. Alternatively, you can choose to sample local produce and culture during an included culinary walking tour.
This evening relax on board or perhaps treat yourself to an optional Vienna Evening Concert as you remain moored here overnight.
Day 8 Vienna-Bratislava 🎧

Cruise across the Slovakian border before sunrise to reach Bratislava where you can look forward to an optional tour of the 2,000 year old capital city, formerly the capital of Hungary in the late Middle Ages and part of the Eastern Bloc between 1948 and 1993. See Bratislava castle which sits on a plateau overlooking the river and city, the Old Town, cathedral, main square and more. Alternatively you may prefer to enjoy an optional Unique Experience by signing up for our Beer Tour of Bratislava. Set sail again this afternoon and cruise through the evening towards Hungary, arriving in Budapest in the early hours.
Day 9 Budapest 🎧

Discover a tale of two cities during an included tour of Budapest this morning, revealing both sides of the city – Buda and Pest – that occupy opposite banks of the river. See the stunning Gothic Hungarian Parliament Building and the Cathedral of St Stephen, which is home to the mummified right hand of Hungary’s patron saint and first king, Stephen I.
Alternatively, enjoy a taste of local produce and culture on an included culinary walking tour. This afternoon optional excursions visit Gödöllo Palace or the Lazar Equestrian Park Horse Farm, alternatively you can explore the city independently – keep an eye out for the seven towers of Fisherman’s Bastion and perhaps enjoy a walk across Heroes’ Square.
Day 10 Budapest-UK

Disembark after breakfast and travel to Budapest airport for your return flight to the UK.
🎧 Interactive maps and headsets available for exploring independently in Regensburg, Passau, Melk, Dürnstein, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.
£2,649 per person
2 passengers
9 nights
Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £40 if not requiredThe Danube
£2,649 per person
2 passengers
9 nights
Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £40 if not required